Bully

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual violence, emotional abuse, and substance use.

Sexual tension is a recurring motif in Bully, highlighting the paradoxical feelings of conflict and connection that define Tate and Jared’s turbulent and unhealthy relationship dynamics. Despite their antagonism, Tate is frequently aware of Jared’s physical presence, and she often gives in to her visceral attraction to him, noting his voice, his body, and even the scent of his cologne. This awkward awareness complicates the underlying emotional and physical confusion that characterizes their interactions. In one instance, Jared approaches Tate while she is wrapped in a towel in the locker room, and Tate describes their eventual kiss in problematic terms, stating, “He assaulted my mouth like he was starving” (145). Her word choice suggests a blurred line between “assault” and consent. The emotional complexity of the pair’s dynamic becomes increasingly evident as Tate begins to feel both anger and attraction and reflects, “While my body definitely reacted positively to him, my brain practiced a zero tolerance policy…from now on” (148). 

These conflicting feelings show that the characters’ unresolved history shapes Tate’s present emotional state, complicating the novel’s focus on